Veterans Day. To most, it is a day off from school or work. But to those who know what the true meaning of the word ‘war’ is, have been on those battlefields and now proudly live as veterans of the United States military, Veteran’s Day is so much more. Veterans are what make freedom and liberty for all in this country a plausible and tangible idea. Unfortunately, the militia of this country does not always get the respect that it deserves.

The military didn’t have a grand beginning; it was a group of farmers who wanted nothing more than to be free of taxation from a tyrant who was hundreds of miles away. But even they were scorned and labeled ‘rebels,’ not many understood why the Revolution was necessary. During the Vietnam War, many soldiers, young men, returned home, beaten and battered, to a country full of despise and unfriendly disposition. Most called those men ‘baby-killers’ because of the massive ideas spread by the media. Still today, with the War in Iraq, people often do not stop to think of the people who are fighting the war. They just see the problems and deaths, not the successes and survivals. Unless someone close or personal is fighting in the war, those brave soldiers’ lives are often not taken into account by many. They are dismissed as easily as a cool breeze on a windy day, hardly thought of at all. It can be argued that not all people have this mentality and in fact they do not. However, the majority of citizens believe the war is wrong, but most are misinformed of the reason for battle or the amount of good that has truly been accomplished.

Veterans’ Day is a day to honor those who have fallen in battle and those who survived the hardships of war. This year was special in particular to the students of St. Dominic RHS because they have so recently experienced a loss. The school was presented with a brand new state flag from Senator Peggy Rotundo was raised to honor the veterans. The students were then informed that the flag was a request that had come from their former principal, Mr. Michael Welch, months ago. It was a heartfelt and touching moment that came at the end of other somber and teary-eyed presentations from local veterans and parents of soldiers. It was a day of commemoration to both the soldiers who are currently in battle, such as one of St. Dom’s former teacher’s son, those who previously defended the country, as well as fallen heroes of the time.

Veterans’ Day is a day of remembrance, to think of all those we loved who fought for what they believed in and held true to their beliefs and fellow countrymen. The fact of whether one agrees with the reasons for war or not should be held secondary to honoring those who were willing to give their lives for others’ freedom and hope. Veteran’s Day should not just become another day off, it is a day that should ring true in the hearts and minds of Americans every year. We will never forget some of the travesties that war has caused or been the result of, and in that same breath, we should never forget those who fought in those battles.